Teknologi
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Abstract
The study reported here investigates the use and effectiveness of mobile applications in English
vocabulary learning. Vocabulary acquisition is an important part of language learning. The advancement
in technology has greatly improved the existing setting in education world in recent years. The wide use
of mobile wireless technologies also has created more opportunities to shift the traditional academic
environment to mobile learning. Interactive multimedia is a great avenue for the communication and
education. This research studies intermediate-level English learners performance before and after using
mobile applications that were introduced to the study group as an intervention. It examines whether
multimedia courseware affects the vocabulary learning in the second language acquisition. The
quantitative data revealed positive change in learners performance and the questionnaire analysis
indicated that using the applications helped enhance learning of vocabulary, confidence, class
participation and that, students had a positive tendency toward the use of multimedia in education.
Graphical abstract
Keywords: Mobile technologies; e-learning; mobile learning; mobile applications; english language
learning
Abstrak
Kajian yang dilaporkan di sini menyiasat penggunaan dan keberkesanan aplikasi mudah alih dalam
pembelajaran perbendaharaan kata Bahasa Inggeris. Pengambilalihan Perbendaharaan kata adalah satu
bahagian penting dalam pembelajaran bahasa. Kemajuan dalam teknologi telah bertambah baik
persekitaran yang sedia ada dalam dunia pendidikan pada tahun-tahun kebelakangan ini. Penggunaan
meluas tanpa wayar mudah alih teknologi serta mewujudkan lebih banyak peluang untuk beralih
persekitaran akademik tradisional untuk pembelajaran mudah alih. Multimedia interaktif adalah ruang
yang besar bagi komunikasi dan pendidikan. Kajian ini mengkaji peringkat pertengahan prestasi pelajar
Bahasa Inggeris sebelum dan selepas menggunakan aplikasi mudah alih yang telah diperkenalkan
kepada kumpulan kajian sebagai campur tangan. Ia mengkaji sama ada perisian multimedia menjejaskan
perbendaharaan kata belajar dalam pemerolehan bahasa kedua. Data kuantitatif mendedahkan perubahan
positif dalam prestasi pelajar dan soal selidik yang menunjukkan bahawa menggunakan aplikasi
membantu meningkatkan pembelajaran perbendaharaan kata, keyakinan, penyertaan kelas dan bahawa,
pelajar mempunyai kecenderungan positif terhadap penggunaan multimedia dalam pendidikan.
Kata kunci: Teknologi mudah alih; e-pembelajaran; pembelajaran mudah alih, aplikasi mudah alih;
pembelajaran bahasa inggeris
1.0 INTRODUCTION
With rapid development of communication technology, this
technology was later applied in e-learning. Communication
technology is mainly categorized as asynchronous or
synchronous. Blog, wiki and dissection boards are part of
asynchronous activities, in asynchronous main idea is that
learners might participate in the exchange of idea or information
without depending on other learners interference at the same
time, synchronous activities consist the exchange of idea and
information with one or more participants during the same time.
Virtual classroom and online chat sessions and the use of this
technology as a mode of self-studying are examples of
synchronous communication technology.
Learning a foreign language effectively means using needed
learning strategies (Meschyan and Hernandez, 2002). These
language-learning strategies are used as a mean to earn
competence in English especially between English-as-second
(foreign)-language (EFL) learners. Many studies claim that
language learning strategies and English proficiency are related
(Liu, 2004) and this pattern of strategy use has been significantly
related to English proficiency (Magno, 2010). According to these
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Azadeh Rezaei, Neo Mai & Ahmad Pesaranghader / Jurnal Teknologi (Sciences & Engineering) 68:2 (2014), 7383
studies the more strategies used, the more likely the desired
English proficiency increases. English language teaching or in a
wider range, the second language acquisition has moved away
from its former phase where finding the perfect teaching method
was the main aim, to focusing on how to help learners as well as
teachers to achieve theory goal in better comprehension. In the
case of teachers, the quest has led to more classroom-cantered or
students-cantered studies on the linguistic, discourse and
interactional teaching activities. In the case of learners, both in
and out of classroom research come up, along which various
kinds of strategies and cognitive processing activities are being
used in second language acquisition (Magogwe and Oliver,
2007).
As the interest in vocabulary acquisition is growing, today
various kinds of aids are available to the learners and students,
among which mobile applications are one of the most effective
and popular. Still research in English language teaching and
learning has often underestimated the vocabulary resources of the
language. The effectiveness of mobile learning in education is
still in its first stages of implementation and concepts and
instructional issues surrounding mobile learning are still evolving
and require further research (Kukulska-Hulme, 2007). The
significance of these studies comes from the feedback it provides
on mobile applications and their effectiveness, where app
developers can see how the selected applications are making
difference on students learning performance in real life and
through the detailed questionnaire strength and weakness points
are revealed. Not to mention how the proved influence of an
applications effectiveness can help instructors to come up with
new teaching methods that involve assigning applications as a
homework and only do post-testing to make an evaluation.
Multimedia aids are beneficial in different aspects of education,
especially language acquisition. They lower students stress and
anxiety, especially students who cannot involve in classroom
activities due to shyness or lack of confidence, whats more they
motivate and encourage students by providing a fun platform
through which the content is delivered as well as increasing
communicative competence.
2.0 BACKGROUND OF PROBLEM
English language acquisition and teaching had undergone a lot of
changes in the past few decades. Mobile learning (M-Learning) is
mainly described as a new learning method in which users use
mobile platforms to learn. It syncretises all qualities of modern
education,
computer
network
technology,
mobile
communications technology, and multimedia technology.
Nevertheless, the main advantage of mobile learning is its
mobility and accessibility that gets over all the boundaries of
common distance learning. Mobile learning (M-Learning) is
mainly described as a new learning way in which learners use
their mobile devices to learn. It syncretises all qualities of
modern learning. Nevertheless, the main advantage of mobile
learning is its easy access at all times and being portable. Since
mobile e-learning is still in its infancy and is immature, there are
presently more possibilities regarding what can be done and what
are the true potentials of this technology. Still, the increasing
number of cell phone users surpassing the number of computer
users for browsing the web in near future mobile e-learning can
certainly become an important learning platform (CSATA, 2004).
Based on a recent study from Ericson mobile manufacturer, by
2015, 80% of people will be browsing the web with their smart
phone or devices and more importantly in education; internet
accessing devices will outnumber computer users in following
years (Johnson et al., 2005). Mobile learning is considered the
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Interactive English
Interactive English is a completely free monthly application to
practice and improve users English. Each months edition
contains interactive exercises, a news story and a news story
discussion in three levels of basic, intermediate and advanced
(Figure 3). This application is compatible with iPhone, iPod
Touch and iPad and requires iOS 4.3 or later as well as android
phones.
For the purpose of this paper, the intermediate section was
introduced to students and like the other application, Busuu, the
subject of both expressions taught in this section and the news
story are work and job search. The application uses multiple
choice questions in the study part and later in the News Story
section, provides a recent article with its reference in which the
same vocabulary taught in the previous section are used. Learners
can tab on the underlined words in red to see the part of speech
and the definition of the word if they cannot remember it. For the
purpose of this study April 2013 issue Man sacked for
wrestling shark is used.
The news story article is chosen from different references
based on the subject of the month. Learners can also read the full
article if they were interested through the link that is usually
mentioned by the end of the article (Figure 4).
Post-test: A test of 20 multiple-choice questions was used in
the post-test examination based on the chosen content in chosen
applications. Students were asked to study the selected content
for the post-test examination, using the applications.
Questionnaire: after the post-test the Participants of the
study were then given a closed twenty-question questionnaires
that measured based on the Likerts five-point scale.
The questionnaire sought students opinion on the change
using English Vocabulary Learning mobile applications make on
students learning performance, confidence, students class
participation and their opinion on the use of multimedia in
general in education and as a mode of learning. The survey was
designed to assess students perception on the effectiveness of
vocabulary mobile application on students learning performance,
confidence, and Class participation and in general their
perspective on the use on multimedia assisted learning.
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The data collection was done in three phases. The first phase,
administering a pre-test vocabulary test based on the traditional
teaching, took place in the second week of the study, based on the
traditional system and the content taught during the sessions
through the pre-test and lasted for 30 minutes (Figure 5). Next the
applications were introduced to the class and essential
explanation was given by the instructor to make the interaction
easier. The second phase of data collection involved the post-tests
in both study groups in the sixth week of the study (Figure 6), an
examination based on the use of mobile English learning
applications. The third and the last phase was carried out by the
end of the experiment through a set of questionnaire on students
experience of using the applications (Figure 7). The two classes
were chosen based on their availability and non-random sampling
and the same applies for the students who participated through
the course and tests. Since the course was about vocabulary
learning, students were not interviewed or chosen from one
specific level, but their language proficiency level was mostly at
pre-intermediate level.
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Survey Questions
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
SD
SA
Mean
Std.
f(%)
f(%)
f(%)
f(%)
f(%)
(M)
Dev
4.00
.81
4.42
.76
4.05
.52
4.21
.71
4.15
.68
3.26
.93
3.52
1.02
4.00
1.00
4.05
1.17
4.05
.705
4.00
.745
4.05
.779
4.15
.834
4.05.
.705
3.78
1.03
4.00
.816
10
(0.00)
(5.26)
(15.74)
(52.63)
(26.31)
11
(0.00)
(0.00)
(15.74)
(26.31)
(57.89)
14
(0.00)
(0.00)
(10.52)
(73.68)
(15.78)
(0.00)
(0.00)
(15.74)
(47.36)
(37.5)
10
(0.00)
(0.00)
(15.74)
(52.63)
(37.5)
10
(0.00)
(5.26)
(15.74)
(26.31)
(52.63)
(5.26)
95.26)
(15.74)
(42.10)
(10.52)
(5.26)
(0.00)
(15.74)
(47.36)
(37.5)
(5.26)
(10.52)
(0.00)
(42.10)
(42.10)
13
(0.00)
(5.26)
(5.26)
(68.42)
(21.04)
12
(0.00)
(5.26)
(10.52)
(63.15)
(21.04)
11
(0.00)
(5.26)
(10.52)
(47.82)
(26.31)
apps
enhanced
my
(0.00)
(5.26)
(10.52)
(47.36)
(36.85)
13
(0.00)
(5.26)
(5.26)
(68.42)
(21.04)
4
10
(5.26)
(5.26)
(15.74)
(52.63)
10
(0.00)
(5.26)
(15.74)
(52.63)
(26.31)
(21.04)
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Azadeh Rezaei, Neo Mai & Ahmad Pesaranghader / Jurnal Teknologi (Sciences & Engineering) 68:2 (2014), 7383
Survey Questions
17
18
19
20
SD
SA
Mean
Std.
f(%)
f(%)
f(%)
f(%)
f(%)
(M)
Dev
4.63
.597
4.52
.696
4.26
.871
4.57
.606
13
(0.00)
(0.00)
(5.26)
(26.31)
(68.42)
12
(0.00)
(0.00)
(10.52)
(26.31)
(63.15)
(0.00)
(10.52)
(10.52)
(37.5)
(47.36)
12
(0.00)
(0.00)
(5.26)
(37.5)
(63.15)
Survey Questions
10
11
12
SD
SA
Mean
Std.
f(%)
f(%)
f(%)
f(%)
f(%)
(M)
Dev.
10
(0.00)
(8.69)
(17.39)
(43.47)
(30.43)
10
(0.00)
(4.34)
(17.39)
(34.78)
(43.47)
14
(0.00)
(4.34)
(13.04)
(60.84)
(21.73)
13
(0.00)
(0.00)
(8.69)
(34.78)
56.52)
11
(0.00)
(8.69)
(8.69)
(34.78)
(47.82)
(13.04)
(13.04)
(17.39)
(34.78)
(21.73)
(8.69)
(8.69)
(21.73)
(34.78)
(26.08)
(8.69)
(4.34)
(13.04)
(34.78)
(39.13)
12
(0.00)
(8.69)
(8.69)
(52.17)
(30.43)
12
(0.00)
(4.34)
(13.04)
(52.17)
(30.43)
10
(0.00)
(4.34)
(17.39)
(43.47)
(34.78)
13
(0.00)
(4.34)
(13.04)
(56.52)
(26.08)
3.95
.92
4.17
.88
4.00
.73
4.47
.66
4.21
.95
3.56
1.19
3.60
1.23
3.91
1.23
3.95
.82
4.08
.79
4.08
.84
4.04
.76
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SD
Survey Questions
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
f(%)
f(%)
f(%)
f(%)
SA
Mean
Std.
f(%)
(M)
Dev.
12
(4.34)
(8.69)
(8.69)
(52.17)
(26.08)
10
(4.34)
(13.04)
(13.04)
(43.47)
(17.39)
12
(0.00)
(8.69)
(13.04)
(52.17)
(26.08)
10
12
(0.00)
(0.00)
(4.34)
(43.47)
(52.17)
13
(0.00)
(0.00)
(13.04)
(30.43)
(56.52)
11
(0.00)
(0.00)
(17.39)
(34.78)
(47.82)
12
(0.00)
(0.00)
(8.69)
(52.17)
(39.13)
3.86
1.05
3.65
1.07
3.95
.87
4.47
.59
4.43
.72
5.69
1.86
4.30
.63
\\
12.0 DISCUSSION
Vocabulary acquisition has proved to be crucial to academic
development. Not only language learners need a strong body of
knowledge including the grammatical points to succeed in basic
skills, but they also need vocabulary help to learn content area
materials. According to Baker (1995) direct teaching of the word
meanings does not adequately reduce the gap between students
with poor versus rich vocabulary knowledge, since the gap is
greater. It is therefore important, that students learn other
techniques and ways for independent vocabulary acquisition.
(Baker et al., 1995)
As the examination of the selected applications used by the
learners revealed that learners consistently preferred visual
information such as graphics or video.
The before-and-after study design provided the chance to
closely observe the change introducing a multimedia aid would
bring along when it is introduced as an intervention to the
vocabulary learning process. Based on the collected data and the
analysis in both classes, Study 1 and 2, students showed positive
performance after the intervention. Both study groups had
insignificant p-values greater than .05 which showed the results
are normally distributed. The mean average for both study groups
in pretest is 13.24 and for all post-tests is 15.82 which shows 2.58
scores improvement in overall in both studies and proves the
significance of the intervention in vocabulary acquisition through
mobile applications.
Whats more is other research studies conducted by other
researchers have evaluated the effectiveness of ESL/EFL
software programs in vocabulary acquisition (Meschyan and
Hernandez, 2002). Also recent studies have assessed the
effectiveness of using computers on reading achievement, and
reading comprehension, the effect of multimedia software on
reading comprehension and vocabulary acquisition, and the
relationship between vocabulary development and reading
comprehension (Singhal, 1998). Most research projects
conducted on vocabulary acquisition and multimedia-assisted
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